The use of tamper resistant containers, or safety containers, is well known in the art and is utilized for many different types of goods and items. Modernly, these containers have been widely used with respect to medications and other related items. Primarily, these containers have been used to store and secure those medications which could represent a potential health hazard if ingested by children, mentally impaired adults, or recovering substance abusers. Historically, these containers have been used to secure prescription medications, especially narcotics, stimulants, sedatives, and other potentially dangerous medications. However, ingestion to the point of abuse of even over-the-counter medications can theoretically cause severe health problems.
The development of these tamper resistant or safety containers has resulted in a number of various devices and configurations. Most of the attention has focused on the caps (also referred to as the lids or tops) of the containers. For example, some types of containers which have locking caps are well known and are widely used commercially. Typically, a key is used to secure and unlock a safety cap which fits snugly over the container which actually stores the medications. In certain devices, a combination lock integrated into the cap secures the cap to the container.
Other devices utilize either pins, bead and recess configurations, sliding bars, or pivoting latching mechanisms to secure the cap to the container. Conventionally, these safety caps have required multiple actions to accomplish removal of the caps. Thus, for example, some safety caps have required the user to press inwardly on a portion of the cap while simultaneously twisting the cap to achieve removal of the cap. Other safety caps have required the user to twist the cap in a first direction, lift it slightly and, then, twist it in a second direction in order to remove the cap. Numerous other multiple action safety caps have been proposed. However, many of them have been so complicated to remove that even authorized persons have had difficulty in removing the caps. Other safety caps have been ineffective and can be removed by anyone with little or no effort. Still other safety caps have been complex devices which have been prohibitively expensive to manufacture and purchase.
Furthermore, most of the safety caps have been useful with either solid or liquid medications, but have not been adaptable for interchangeable or simultaneous multiple media use. The term "simultaneous multiple media" refers to the ability of a safety container to store various medications in both solid and liquid form at the same time without any mingling or contacting of the two forms of medications occurring. Therefore, these previously developed containers may have only been able to store pills or capsules, but could not safely or adequately store liquid medications at the same time. Additionally, these previously developed containers are generally not large enough to safely store several different types of medications, regardless of medium, at the same time.
Finally, these containers are not well suited to storing and securing other potentially dangerous materials or items which are generally used or needed in connection with or in conjunction with the administration of medications. These potentially dangerous materials include, but are not limited to, needles, hypodermic syringes, thermometers, asthma inhalers, medicine droppers, bandages, adhesive tape, tweezers, or scissors.
Examples of various safety containers can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,687 to Glick; U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,501 to Franchi; U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,903 to Franchi; U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,262 to O'Nan; U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,069 to Intini; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,399 to Intini, the entire specifications of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Therefore, there is a need for a container wherein the contents of the container can be secured from unauthorized users, and which can simultaneously and safely store a number of various medications, regardless of form or medium, as well as other potentially dangerous materials or items used in connection with the administration of medications.